Watch Microbrands Find Success in Individuality

‘The Moment Has Arrived’
July 26, 2024
A Custom Watch Order Started as a Fun Idea. Then It Became More.
July 26, 2024

This post was originally published on this site

Want create site? Find Free WordPress Themes and plugins.

Small operations such as Anoma and Baltic say their unusual designs and lower-end prices have fueled significant growth.

On June 6, Matteo Violet-Vianello began taking pre-orders online for his first watch, the Anoma A1.

His website described the timepiece as Swiss Made, an official term indicating it would be assembled and tested in that country, and triangular in shape, inspired by a 1950s table from the French designer Charlotte Perriand. Delivery was promised in January 2025.

The initial run of 100 pieces, each at 1,300 British pounds ($1,686), sold out in five hours. And before the pre-order window closed July 6, Mr. Violet-Vianello, 28, sold another 100 watches.

But what were people buying? Anoma has no track record, no employees and no headquarters. Mr. Violet-Vianello doesn’t even work on the business full time, paying the rent with his salary as a management consultant.

The Anoma A1, the company’s first watch. Its triangular design was inspired by a 1950s table from the French designer Charlotte Perriand.Jeremie Souteyrat for The New York Times

But all of that aligns Anoma with the fast-growing group of watch microbrands that has sprung up in recent years, small businesses created by millennial entrepreneurs taking advantage of crowdfunding platforms and social media to sell watches that appeal to buyers bored with the design status quo or left behind by soaring prices. And while these microbrands have far smaller operating and marketing budgets than virtually every establishment brand, they are helping to shape the watch industry’s future.

Mr. Violet-Vianello said his watch answered his generation’s “search for individuality,” noting that prices of high-end watches “have increased, not in line with inflation, so a lot of great designs are now out of reach.” (Longtime “starter” watches, such as TAG Heuer’s Carrera Chronograph or Omega’s Speedmaster, now sell for more than $5,000.)

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.


Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.


Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Did you find apk for android? You can find new Free Android Games and apps.

Comments are closed.